The ketogenic diet for weight loss is based on the idea that driving the body into ketosis will maximize fat loss. Ketosis is a normal metabolic process that occurs when the body does not have enough glucose stores for energy. When these stores are depleted, the body resorts to burning stored fat for energy instead of carbs. This process produces acids called ketones, which build up in the body and can be used for energy. (2)
I will admit to appeal to authority here. This was said by the professor of the course I mentioned in my previous post, but it was also confirmed by many of my classmates, whom, at this point(for reasons, which are too tedious and long winded to extrapolate on atm), I consider smart enough to know their business, that I choose to believe them. All of them. If nothing else, the professor himself is,well¦ authority on his field.

¢ Reducing appetite ” Constant hunger can cause you to consume more calories than you can burn, which can eventually lead to weight gain. A ketogenic diet can help you avoid this problem because reducing carbohydrate consumption can reduce hunger symptoms. In one study, participants who were given a low-carbohydrate diet had reduced appetites, helping them lose weight easier.2

Instead of thinking about the total carbs you're eating, assess what those carbs provide to you. Do the majority of your carbs come from fruit and vegetables, with a payload of fiber and disease-fighting antioxidants? Fantastic. Or are you consuming them in the form of added sugars (cookies, candy, soda) or refined flour? If you are, you know what to do.
Yes, you can drink alcohol on keto, but there are a couple of catches. The first thing to watch out for is, obviously, the carbohydrates in your drink of choice. If you're choosing clear liquor, it tends to have a low amount of carbs, but it still has some. Your mixers also may have carbs in them, so choosing something like tonic water over a soda will keep you within your limits. Beer, cider, wine, and other bottled alcoholic drinks tend to be high in sugars, so you might just want to avoid them.
Are you ready to take the guesswork out of that stressful weeknight meal planning? Peace, Love and Low Carb - Low Carb and Gluten Free Weekly Meal Plans are low carb, gluten free, and keto friendly. All recipes include a color photo and complete nutritional analysis. Comes with a printable grocery list, snack list, tips for meal prepping and suggestions for substitutions.
If you're new to keto, watch out for hidden carbs. Generally, dairy products and nuts are a good way to meet your daily fat intake, but know that some of those items may contain more carbohydrates than you think. For example, yogurt topped with nuts may seem like a great keto-friendly snack, but a 5.3 ounce serving of plain yogurt has 12 grams of carbohydrates. Vanilla flavored yogurt has 24 grams of carbohydrates. Add an ounce of cashews, weighing in at nearly nine grams of carbs, and you're up to 21 to 33 grams of carbs for that snack, which could knock you out of ketosis. Be sure to read nutrition labels carefully and pay careful attention to serving sizes. Track foods using a keto-specific app like Senza or KetoDiet can help you stay within your recommended daily carb intake.
The keto diet is currently being used as a safe and effective addition to the treatment of several types of cancer and can help slow tumor growth. As an example, we'd like to point to a promising study showed the intracerebral growth of the CT-2A & U87-MG tumors (related to malignant brain cancer) is significantly decreased by about 65% and 35% (27).
It's not for me, but it interesting to learn these things, and of course there seem to be good reasons for doing it for some people. I'm happy with the œeat less, exercise more diet for now, but I might try out intermittent fasting since I've seen a few things suggesting it might help with allergies? I doubt that's well supported, but I've liked what you've had to say about it, so since it's not a thing I have to spend money on to try out, might as well, right?
¢ Multiple Sclerosis: In a small 2016 study, patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) were put on a ketogenic diet. After six months, they reported improved quality of life, as well as physical and mental health improvements. Before doctors or researchers can make a connection between keto and MS, they need bigger sample sizes and more thorough research. Still, the preliminary findings are exciting.
Chapter 2 - Go Keto in 5 steps. 1-clean out your pantry. Egads! No dates or peas, 2 of my favorites! 2-Go shopping and stock up on the basics- water, coffee, tea, spices, herbs, non-sugar sweeteners, lemon & lime juice, mayo, mustard, pesto, sriracha, broths, pickled foods, nuts & seeds, meats, eggs, wild caught fish, nonstarchy veggies, berries, avocados, full fat dairy, avocado oil, olive oil, butter, lard, bacon fat. 3-set up your kitchen with a food scale, food processor, spiralizer, hand mixer, and cast iron pan. 4- plan your meals, and 5 -exercise!
Although the exact role of the ketogenic diet in mental and brain disorders is unclear, there has been proof of its efficacy in patients with schizophrenia. And, to boot, the ketogenic diet works to reverse many conditions that develop as a side effect of conventional medications for brain disorders, like weight gain, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular risks. More research is needed to understand the role of the ketogenic diet in treating or improving schizophrenia, as the current available studies are either animal studies or case studies, but the benefits of a high fat, low carbohydrate diet in neurology is promising.

œOne of the best meal planning tips I've ever received is to structure breakfast and lunch so that you don't have to think too much about it, says Emily Bartlett, co-founder of Real Plans. œIf you're okay with repetition, it's ideal to have a simple selection of recipes for breakfast”including some that can be taken on the go. For lunch, go ahead and use your leftovers with a fresh green salad, and be sure to include a dressing that you really love.

Achieving ketosis is a pretty straightforward, but it can seem complicated and confusing with all of the information out there.4If you want to learn more about ketosis and the scientific process around it, you can visit a very in-depth discussion about on Dr. Peter Attia's website. Here's the bottom line on what you need to do, ordered in levels of importance:

The average person's diet contain about 55% carbohydrates, 30% fat, and 15% protein. On the keto diet, you eat a whole lot more fat, and a lot less carbs: 80% of the diet is comprised of fat, 15% is protein, and a mere 5% of calories come from carbohydrates. For someone on a 1,500-calorie diet, that translates to 19 grams of carbohydrates per day, which is less than what you find in one medium-sized apple.
There are several medical studies ” such as two conducted by the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center for the University of Iowa, and the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, for example ” that show the ketogenic diet is an effective treatment for cancer and other serious health problems. (12)
Each of the above methods is good for its own reason; however, we would suggest only one: the blood test. The urine strips are cheap, yet not accurate. The breath analyzer is expensive, difficult to find and has definite quirks. The blood tests, while somewhat expensive, are fully reliable and testing your blood - the most accurate place to measure your ketones.
If you do try the diet outside of medical supervision, Kizer says it's important to test your urine with urinalysis ketone test strips to ensure your ketone levels don't become dangerously high. Ketone urine test strips are also used by people with diabetes to determine if they're at risk for ketoacidosis (DKA), a life-threatening complication that occurs when an individual doesn't have enough insulin in their body. (Healthy ketosis is considered 0.5 to 3.0 mM blood ketones.)

It can be very difficult to obtain some of the very high levels of blood ketones on this table - especially as you become "fat adapted" or "keto adapted" or whatever you want to call it. Once your body is efficient at using ketones, it makes only what it needs. Beginners may see very high levels of ketones, and then they see them drop off. This isn't because you are making a mistake and are out of ketosis - your body is no longer overproducing them.

The current hypothesis is that the brain functions differently on ketones than on glucose, and this is what causes certain brains to reduce epileptic seizures. I would then also hypothesize that certain people who feel that œbrain fog lifted on ketosis is due to either placebo effect OR their brain actually functioning differently on ketones vs glucose.

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Medical Disclaimer: The material on this site is provided for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult your physician before beginning any diet or exercise program.